Always by your side
by Shiawase-usagichan
Summary: Lucy's father has forced three suitors on her after a series of events. Here she is forced to get to know them. With her best friend by her side guarding her, can she really find true love, or has he been with with her the whole time, always by her side?


**Always by your side**

**Lucy's father has forced three suitors on her after a series of events. Here she is forced to find out who's really the one for her and get to know them. With her best friend by her side guarding her, can she really find true love, or has he been with her the whole time. **

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Prlogue: She remembers

Lucy heartfilia remembers. She remembers a time when everything wasn't just about money. She remembers the smiling faces, all around her. But now... compared to this...

"Lucy, sit up straighter!"

The blonde hardly put in any effort and readjusted her slump shoulders. After giving her a glare, her father turned away and then began to discuss something with the man next to him. Her brown eyes were flickering around the room, trying to get rid of the boredom threatening to drown her. She looked at the elegant room, with the creamy, Rome-like pillars holding the room up. She spied the random statues around the large room. The room was all decorated in rather cold and unfeeling colours. It did nothing to give the room any life. All boring... as usual.

She subtly moved her pink dress around to get more comfortable. It was another dress handpicked by one of her maids. She wasn't even able to pick out her own outfit. The ruffles on the sleeves, were extremely annoying and she wished that time would go faster.

The two body guards were standing, one on both sides, and looked unable to approach. They were dressed up entirely in black, and looked like they came straight from one of those FBI movies. She sighed. She couldn't even talk to anyone.

"Is this your daughter?"

Lucy perked up and looked around to find her father talking to an elderly woman. Her grey hair was done up in a bun, and her red dress was tight against her body. The extremely large pearls around her neck and the large diamond ring indicated that the woman had a very high social status. He put on a fake smile and then turned to look at Lucy.

"Ah, yes, this is... Lucy, my daughter"

The blonde haired teenager put up a forced smile of her own. "Yes, I'm Lucy; it's very nice to meet you"

The elderly woman nodded in approval. "You must be proud to have such a beautiful and polite daughter, Mr Heartfilia"

"Of, course, now onto _more_ important matters", he got up and guided her away from the large table.

Lucy waited a few minutes, making sure he had left for good, and then slumped sadly against the chair. There was a tap on her shoulders, and Lucy turned around. The hand which had tapped her belonged to one of the bodyguards.

"Excuse me, miss, It's time for our break. You're next bodyguards will be here in a few minutes."

She nodded with a deadpanned expression, and then got up as the bodyguards were leaving. The blonde quietly walked over to the table full of beverages and went to grab herself a drink. A hand shot out of nowhere and intercepted her hand from reaching her chosen glass.

"Lucy heartfilia?"

Lucy looked up to see a man, with brown hair looking at her. He gave her a kind grin smile. It wasn't someone she knew. Lucy narrowed her eyes in suspicion, he's eyes weren't smiling, even though his mouth was curved up into a definite grin. She learnt how to notice fake smiles a long time along.

"Yes...? What do you want?"

"You're so beautiful, just like what the rumours have said... You want to join me for a walk?"

Lucy backed away slowly. She could feel this man was up to no good. "No... My father specifically told me to stay here..."

He's smile slightly wavered, and he took a step forward. "That's too bad..."

Everything was happening too fast. As soon as the stranger had said that, he had already made his way behind her and held a small knife against her neck. Lucy's eyes widened in shock. And struggled out of his hold, he pressed the knife harder against her neck. Everyone turned their attention to the scene, and soon there was a large crowd, eyes all adverted at them.

"If only you came quietly without refusing... now everyone's looking at us" He gave her a sly smile. Lucy looked away in disgust. He yanked her hair roughly and she whimpered softly.

"You'd better pay more respect to me, princess. Just think about the situation you're in."

Lucy watched as he father came running in. Instead of looking worried, like a normal father in this situation, he looked exasperated and rather emotionless. The blonde cringed at the looks he was giving her and looked down, disappointed. She couldn't expect any less from him.

"What are you doing to Lucy?" A familiar voice shouted and Lucy snapped her eyes open and looked up. She couldn't help a large smile spreading across her face.

Standing in the front row of the large crowd, was a familiar salmon haired teenager, with dark eyes and a white scarf around his neck. He took a bite from the large chicken drumstick he was holding, and then threw it to the ground. He's eyes darkened and took a step forward.

"What. Are. You. Doing. To. Lucy?" He asked dangerously.

"Natsu! What are you doing here, I thought I ordered you to stay upstairs?" Lucy turned around to see her father shouting at the rose haired boy.

"Shut up old man, if you had hired better body guards Lucy wouldn't be in this mess!"

Lucy noticed her father had become unusually quiet.

"I'm obviously using her as a hostage..." The man was smirking.

Natsu took another step forward, but the kidnapper slid the knife further up Lucy's neck. "I wouldn't do that if I were you... Otherwise princess here may get hurt"

A growl erupted from Natsu's throat, but he stayed idle on the spot.

"That's a good animal" He chuckled mockingly.

Lucy clenched her hands tightly. No one teased her best friend like that. Her brown eyes caught Natsu sending her a pleading look. The blonde willed herself to calm down.

"Why are you doing this?" Natsu asked through clenched teeth.

The man grinned. "I want a ransom for this little birdie, that's why."

He lifted his knife and pointed it at Lucy's father. "You, Mr Heartfilia, bring me all the money you have!"

Natsu saw his chance. "NOW LUCY!"

The blonde nodded and lifted her heeled foot up, and slammed it down onto her kidnapper's foot. She didn't let him take a breath, and then roughly jabbed an elbow into his stomach. The man gasped with pain and fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and let go of her. Lucy began to sprint towards Natsu, when a hand grabbed her foot and she tripped.

The brown haired man was still wheezing with pain, began cursing.

"I think Princess needs to be taught a lesson" he gasped, and raised a knife at the foot her was holding. Lucy squeezed her eyes tightly and waited for the pain, but nothing came only a man's scream.

Lucy opened her eyes and looked back. Natsu had his foot, crushing the kidnapper's foot, until he was forced to let go of the knife. He had a sinister face on his face. Natsu lifted his by his shirt and gave him a hard left hook.

"If you EVER hurt Lucy again, I'll make sure you see hell!"

Lucy quickly scrambled up and wound her arms around Natsu. She buried her face into his back. "It's alright, Natsu, I'm alright, so you don't need to hurt him"

Natsu said nothing and dropped the kidnapper onto the flooring, leaving him to gasp in pain. By the time he had, they were already surrounded by body guards, and the room was filled with Mr Heartfilia's orders. The two teenagers crept back upstairs until the chaos with order, Lucy awaiting her impending punishment, and Natsu staying quiet and watching her worriedly.

Lucy looked at her friend, and sighed sadly. Yes, she remembered those warm times with Natsu, her mother... and even her father.

The sound of shouting could be heard from downstairs.

That man downstairs was not her father anymore.

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**I finally found inspiration to write a Lucy story~~ :D Hope you enjoyed the prologue! The events leading to Lucy's arranged suitors. Please tell me what you think :) If you have any ideas please give them to me, otherwise, read and enjoy!**

**Until next time,**

**Marina. **


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